Wearing many hats is part of life, but few resonate as deeply as my work in cancer research and patient advocacy. This passion wasn't born in a lab, but through personal experience, beginning when I became a caregiver for family members at just 14. That early exposure sparked a lifelong dedication to understanding the subjective experiences of those facing cancer.

Have you ever wondered what makes therapy work? It can sometimes feel like a mysterious process. We talk, we explore, maybe we cry, and somehow, things can start to shift. But how? While every therapy journey is unique, decades of thinking and practice, including insights from Transactional Analysis, point to some key ingredients that help create lasting change. It turns out, a lot of it has to do with relationships – the ones from our past, the one we build with our therapist, and the one we have with ourselves.

Are you trying to navigate life as a Multi-Cultural Couple: Hint* – If yes, you should know that there are hidden influences!

Culture has traditionally been defined as the shared beliefs, practices, and social conventions of a particular group of individuals. In recent years, however, the term cultural identity has increasingly been used interchangeably with socioeconomic status, health and physical differences, neurodiversity, politics, gender, sexual identity, and more. 

Do you and your partner find yourselves caught in the same arguments over and over again? Do you feel like you're stuck in a loop of conflict, misunderstanding, and hurt feelings? You're not alone. Many couples fall into destructive patterns of communication that seem impossible to break free from.

These repetitive conflicts often stem from what therapists call "negative relationship cycles." These cycles are like a dance where each partner's actions trigger specific reactions in the other, leading to a familiar and negative outcome. For example, one partner might withdraw and become quiet when they feel criticized, while the other partner might become louder and more critical in an attempt to get a response. These negative relationship cycles may also trigger a loop of shame in each person. In this way, both partners end up feeling hurt and misunderstood.

In our closest relationships, we long for connection, understanding, and a sense of being truly seen. We want intimacy. Yet, couples often find themselves trapped in repetitive conflicts and communication breakdowns, leaving them feeling distant and disconnected. To understand how to move beyond these negative cycles, it's essential to explore the concept of intimacy itself, particularly from a Transactional Analysis (TA) perspective.

Relationships can be a source of immense joy and support, but they can also become battlegrounds for unhealthy interactions. Do you ever feel like you're caught in the same negative scenarios with the people in your life, playing out familiar roles in a drama you didn't sign up for? If so, you might be experiencing the Karpman Drama Triangle.

Anxiety. It's a feeling many of us know all too well. That knot in your stomach, the racing thoughts, the sense of unease that can take over your mind and body. But what if anxiety isn't just a random occurrence? What if it's connected to something deeper, something about our ability to express our needs and understand our own feelings?

It's been suggested that anxiety, in some cases, arises when people struggle to articulate their feelings effectively, perhaps fearing they'll come across as weak, or believing it's not okay to ask for what they want and need. There's a lot of wisdom in this idea.